"You never had any in Paris or in London, mother, and yet you got on

very well."

"That was a matter of necessity, then; you were a youth at college; we

could not have your company; but now you are a young man, and your

place, until you marry, is with me and my daughters. We shall need your

escort, dear Herman, and be happier for your company. I should be very

glad if I could induce to accompany us to the city."

"And I should be very glad to do so, dear mother, but for the

engagements that bind me here."

She did not ask the very natural question of what those engagements

might be. She did not wish to let him see that she knew or suspected his

attachment to Nora Worth, so she answered: "You refer to the improvements and additions you mean, to add to

Brudenell Hall. Surely these repairs had better be deferred until the

spring, when the weather will be more favorable for such work?"

"My dear mother, all the alterations I mean to have made inside the

house can very well be done this winter. By the next summer I hope to

have the whole place in complete order for you and my sisters to return

and spend the warm weather with me."

The lady lifted her head. She had never known her son to be guilty of

the least insincerity. If he had looked forward to the coming of herself

and her daughters to Brudenell, to spend the next summer, he could not,

of course, be contemplating the removal of Nora Worth to the house.

"Then you really expect us to make this our home, as heretofore, every

summer?" she said.

"I have no right to expect such a favor, my dear mother: but I sincerely

hope for it," said the son courteously.

"But it is not every young bachelor living on his own estate who cares

to be restrained by the presence of his mother and sisters; such

generally desire a life of more freedom and gayety than would be proper

with ladies in the house," said Mrs. Brudenell.

"But I am not one of those, mother; you know that my habits are very

domestic."

"Yes. Well, Herman, it may just as well be understood that myself and

the girls will return here to spend the summer. But now--the previous

question! Can you not be prevailed on to accompany us to Washington?"

"My dear mother! anything on earth to oblige you I would do, if

possible! But see! you go on Saturday, and this is Thursday night. There

is but one intervening day. I could not make the necessary arrangements.

I have much business to transact with my overseer; the whole year's

accounts still to examine, and other duties to do before I could

possibly leave home. But I tell you what I can do; I can hurry up these

matters and join you in Washington at the end of the week, in full time

to escort you and my sisters to that grand national ball of which I hear

them incessantly talking."




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